Global cancer crisis deepens, hitting the world’s most vulnerable the hardest

The growing cancer epidemic most severely impacts the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, global health experts have warned.

The Global Burden of Disease 2023 Cancer Workgroup recently released a report showing that worldwide, 18.5 million new cancer cases were recorded in 2023, resulting in 10.4 million deaths.

Cancer used to be considered an exclusive problem in rich countries, but now, the newest data is telling that almost four-fifths of cancer deaths are those that occur in low- and middle-income countries that generally lack the resources for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

The forecasts for sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia were particularly grave. Modifiable risk factors, such as alcohol and tobacco use, poor diets, obesity, air pollution, and hazardous